


Happy Birthday

by Keyboard_Weaving_Stories



Category: Avengers, Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Steve Feels, Tony Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-14
Updated: 2013-06-15
Packaged: 2017-12-14 22:38:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/842171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keyboard_Weaving_Stories/pseuds/Keyboard_Weaving_Stories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Tony's birthday comes around, Steve isn't at the party. Instead, he is visiting Peggy in a retirement home. He must come home and face just how much he has hurt Tony.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Conversations Through The Door

Tony sat on the floor against the door, tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked to his bed with distant eyes. “Tony, please let me in,” Steve whimpered from the hallway on the other side of the door.

Tony opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Clearing his throat, Tony tried again. “Leave me alone,” Tony murmured, pulling his legs up and hugging his knees to his chest. “I dont want to see you.”

“Tony, Im sorry,” Steve insisted, and Tony heard the soft thud of Steve pressing his forehead against the door. “I know I messed up, but I didn’t mean to forget, honest!”

Tony pressed a hand over his mouth to stop a sob from leaving his lips as he reached up, checking for the fifth time if the door was locked. It was. “You forgot my birthday, and missed my party to visit Peggy in a retirement home,” Tony snapped, the name tasting bitter. 

“Tony, please,” Steve whispered, loud enough for Tony to hear. “Im sorry.”

Tony shook his head, muffling another sob. “You still have feelings for her, I get that. I just…I just never knew that you love her more than me.”

“Tony, that isn’t true!” Steve cried, jiggling the doorknob again with no success.

“Yes it is. You care about her more than me,” Tony stood. “I just wished I had noticed sooner to spare myself the pain,” Tony padded over, flopping into his bed, not bothering to get under the covers as he burrowed his head into his pillow.

“Tony, I swear it isn’t like that!” Steve’s cries were heard, but Tony ignored them as he curled into a ball, tears falling thicker as he closed his eyes.

“Happy birthday to me.”


	2. JARVIS, You Traitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finally gets a chance to talk to Tony face to face, but will it make a difference?

He had camped out in the hallway all night, and after much convincing, JARVIS unlocked the door to Tony’s bedroom for Steve. Steve entered the shadowed room, a few stray strands of sunlight breaking through the window and casting a soft glow to Tony’s curled up figure on the bed. Steve’s heart clenched at the very sight.

He padded over, gently sitting on his side of the bed, careful not to wake Tony. He looked down at Tony, softly brushing the hair out of his face before sitting back against the headboard, eyes locked on the far wall. He couldn’t bare the fact that Tony’s cheeks were still somehow flustered from crying. 

After a long silence and eternity in his thoughts, Steve jumped when a soft and raspy voice spoke up from beside him. “JARVIS, you traitor.”

Steve looked down, finding that Tony hadn’t moved from his sleeping position, but his eyes were open and looking everywhere but at Steve. “Hi,” Steve whispered weakly, biting his lip.

“Why are you here?” Tony asked, his voice sounding worn and wary. Tony never did have a problem with getting straight to the point.

“To check on you,” Steve murmured, running a hand affectionately through Tony’s hair only to flinch with a hurt expression as Tony swatted his hand away.

“Do not touch me. I asked you to leave me alone.” Tony muttered, sitting up, but not getting off the bed. Good. At least he was running from Steve like last night. 

“I wanted to make sure you were okay and I wanted to talk to you,” Steve frowned, sliding a finger under Tony’s chin and turning the billionaire’s head to face him.

Tony closed his eyes, trying hard to stop tears. When he regained his composure, he opened his eyes, looking to Steve tiredly. “Haven’t you already done enough?”

Steve flinched again, softly bringing his hand away from Tony’s chin. “Listen, Im sorry and I know I hurt you-“

“No, no, Steve. It felt fucking great to have the love of my life ditch me on my birthday for a woman he never even dated!” Tony snapped harshly, turning and slipping out of bed, standing.

“Tony, that isn’t fair!” Steve argued, standing up. “Do not use that against me. I know I never dated her but I still cared about her!”

Tony whirled around to glare at Steve, a dark fire burning in his eyes. “Are you seriously defending you relationship with her? In front of me?” Tony’s voice was quiet, yet it sent shivers down Steve’s spine.

“Tony, please just listen to me,” Steve insisted, walking over and placing his hands on Tony’s shoulders. “I love you more than anything in this world, and I wouldn’t trade what we have for anything, even if it was another chance with Peggy. Im sorry I forgot your birthday and I promise it’ll never happen again.”

Tony felt tears well in his eyes. “Do you know how broken I was? I walked into that party and while everyone was yelling ‘surprise’, all I focused on was trying finding your face in the crowd. And I didn’t. I spent the whole night waiting and trying to find you at that party because I wanted nothing more than to spend my birthday with you. I was so upset to learn you weren’t there, and to find out you were with Peggy?” The tears where falling down his cheeks now. “I used to think of you as someone who would never hurt me.”

“Tony,” Steve whimpered, tears filling his eyes as he tried to pull Tony into a hug but Tony stepped away.

“I really need to be alone right now,” Tony whispered, turning his head away.

Steve frowned, taking a step forward. “But Tony-“

“Just go.”


	3. Probation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve tries one last attempt to get Tony's forgiveness, but can a note say everything he needs it to say?

Sunlight filtered through the large windows of his bedroom, lazily tinting his face with yellow warmth. Tony groaned loudly, pulling his pillow over his head to bury his face in the silk pillow case.”JARVIS, shades.”

His voice was raw and raspy, throat sore from extensive sobs that had burned his throat. His eyes were red and puffy from the salty tears that have streamed down his cheeks. Sniffling, he slowly sat up, stiff joints popping as he slip to the end of the bed. He had to get up. Sure, he was upset and angry, but he had to show everyone that it that more than a heartbreak to hold Tony Stark down. But it was Steve who broke his heart.

Tony turned on the shower, turning to the mirror and beginning to shave. Tony ignored how puffy and deflated he looked. Steam fogged the mirror around the edges, framing his face. His hair was flat, his face was swollen, his lip was bitten, and his heart was torn. Maybe one more day of wallowing wouldn’t hurt.

Tony shut off the shower and moved back into his bedroom, heart set on flopping in the bed and sleeping his life away, but a white envelope sliding under the floor caught his eye. Tony lifted up, finding his name written neatly across the front. Steve’s handwriting.Tony stared at it for a long time, before curiosity got the best of him and he opened it.

_My dearest love,_

_Im sorry. Im sorry that I ever caused you any pain. You’re right, there is no excuse for me forgetting your birthday and missing your party to see Peggy. We both know that I have a connection with Peggy because she is something familiar to me. She’s my only connection now to World War II. To my old life. But you, Tony Stark, you are my life now and Im sorry that I’ve neglected that. I love you more than anything in my life and to hurt you, is to hurt me. I hate to see you so upset and to know that I did that to you? It is the worst feeling in the world. I dont expect you to forgive me, but I just want you to know, that you are my life. My only life. And my only love._

_-Steve_

Tony swallowed, gingerly folding the letter back up and placing it neatly on the bed. Tears were filling his eyes for what felt like the millionth time that week as he moved to the door. He wanted to find Steve, to find him and talk to him. Tony pulled the door open to find Steve, leaning against the wall across from his door. His head popped up as Tony stepped out, eyes distraught and hopeful.

Tony took a slow step forward before diving into his arms, closing his eyes and burying his face in Steve’s shoulder as the soldier wrapped his arms securely around Tony. “You’re still not forgiven,” Tony mumbled softly, curling his fingers in Steve’s shirt. “You’re on probation.”

“As long as I have you back, it’s worth it,” Steve whispered, pressing his face into Tony’s hair. “I mean it. I love you.”

Tony smiled and nodded, tears falling thicker. “I love you too.”

“Happy Birthday.”


End file.
